Hello!
I am new to buying guitars, and am trying to figure out what to look for when buying an electric guitar for the first time?
And what type of AMPs are best for beginners?
It helps to define what âgoodâ means to you. Lowest cost, most flexibility, lots of folks use it so info is easy to locate on the webâŚ
Give us a bit more of what you are looking for and maybe a bit of your guitar playing goals.
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I am looking for a cheapish electric guitar, but good quality, (wonât break in a month.)
Doesnât need to be the best, because I do plan on upgrading. But I want it to at least last a couple years.
I also want to know if the type/brand of AMP matters for certain guitars. Same with cables.
I really just want an electric guitar to have fun, play with friends, that sort of thing.
I hope that answers your questions.
Look at Squier guitars. Fenderâs economy brand, so you can get a Stratocaster or a Telecaster for low cost. Personally, I also like the low-cost end of Fender amps (like their Champion line) for a beginner practice amp, but Iâm certain that the majority on here will be recommending the Boss Katana.
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I am hearing that low cost is highest importance for both guitar and some kind of amp to play through. There are a lot of opinions on this and a lot of that has been discussed on the forums already.
Picking a guitar:
I recommend you visit a guitar store and try out guitars there. You will probably feel awkward and unable to know what it should feel like, but you should be able to discard some options due to feeling too heavy, too big, or just donât like the way it looks. Beyond that, take a look at the types of guitars that are used for the music you hope to play. Watch some Youtube videos for instance. The things that determine how it will sound are the pickups, amplifier, any effects you may use, and a little bit of the body (hollow vs solid).
Picking an amp:
Do some reading here on the forums. You will want to look at modeling practice amps, simple home practice amps, and maybe just headphone amps. Examples might be Katana, THR-10, and many others. Do some reading here to see what folks like. You will want to also think about selecting based on the music you plan to play. Ask here, or do research online. Vox is different than Orange is different than Marshall⌠This can be a hard thing to figure out early on, so often the modeling amps can help since they have those models in them.
A budget would help folks that come on to help as well as country you are in.
Here is a good search for the amp:
https://community.justinguitar.com/search?q=amp%20to%20buy
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All guitars are good. Some are better than others of course. You would have to be very unlucky to get something thatâs crap. As a beginner you just want to get started.
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Can you tell about your guitar goals and music preferences as it can guide you in a particular direction when choosing a guitar.
The first thing I can suggest is to choose with your eyes. You want a guitar that you like, that you want to pick up and play as much as possible, that will inspire you just with its look.
Secondly, you probably should pay attention to the pickups, but that depends on the kind of music you wanna play. If rock and metal are on your radar, itâs better to get a guitar with at least one humbucker.
And thatâs pretty much it about the specs, the rest you can only figure out while playing different guitar, like what kind of neck you prefer, scale length etc.
The only other thing I can personally suggest is to look more for models with hard-tail bridges, itâs just easier.
One big thing is to try out a bunch of different guitars at a music store if you have that option. That really helps.
As for the amp, I think the best choice is to get some digital modelling amp. You may not use all the features and effects they offer, but itâs better to have such options and not use them than not have any when you need it, in my opinion. There are plenty of models to choose from, I personally used Fender Mustang LT25 and Positive Grid Spark Mini and they are excellent for home use. A lot of people here have Boss Katana amps and theyâre get praised pretty much everywhere. And there is a ton of other brands and models to choose from.
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I have to second the Fender Mustang LT25 as a good starter practice amp. For its price point, it is pretty hard to beat. A Boss Katana can do more things, and do them better, but itâs also more expensive.
As for the guitar, Iâd echo whatâs already been said so far and say go to a guitar store and try some guitars out, playing the kind(s) of music that you like to play the most. The best guitar will always be the one that you want to pick up and play, and you wonât really know which that is without trying it out.
Iâd also agree that a hard tail bridge guitar is probably your best bet, but donât let that deter you from picking something with a tremolo bridge if itâs what makes you want to play. You can always block or deck a Stratâs tremolo bridge if you need to; thatâs what I ended up doing with my first electric guitar until I was a bit more confident in playing with a floating bridge.
A good set of guitars to try to see if you like them are a Telecaster, a Stratocaster, an SG, and a Les Paul. Squier makes great models of the first two, and Epiphone does the same for the latter two. The Yamaha Pacifica is also a great budget Strat-style guitar that has no business being as inexpensive as it is.
Without a budget, itâs hard to make a more specific recommendation, though I will say from experience that a Squier Classic Vibe â50s Stratocaster plays like a much more expensive guitar than it actually is.
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Thank you so much! Everyone has given me such great advice!
As far as my budget, i am hoping that the total price of everything will be under $500. Although i know that it can get expensive.
I wanted to know what your opinion is on getting a kit on Amazon? I was looking at the price difference between buying it in a kit and everything separately. Although, i was looking, and the AMPs seem pretty cheap. I donât know if it is something worth investigating, trying to find a good one. Or just going to a guitar store and buying everything separately. I was looking at a Fender Squier Stratocaster Electric Guitar kit on Amazon, and it looked pretty good at first, but now i am not so sure.
Also, if i were to buy it online, do you think it would be better to buy directly from Fender? Instead of Amazon.
So sorry for asking so many questions. I am new to this and donât want to buy the wrong thing. 
Thank you so much for your advice!
My goals are to just have fun with it and play songs i listen to and like. For in house use.
I want to learn a lot of country song, but my dad also wants me to learn some rock songs. 
I think it is a great idea to go to a guitar and store see them! I will definitely do that someday soon. What do you think about headphone AMPs Vs. Normal AMPs? I donât have much space for a big AMP.
Sorry i have so many questions! Thank you so much for your help!
Youâll find that most entry-level practice amps arenât very large, and have headphone jacks if you want to practice nearly silently to not bother others in the house. I got a headphone amp when I first started and didnât care for it at all. I havenât touched it since I got a regular amp, but that doesnât mean you wonât like it.
Yes, you can get everything you need for under $500. A kit is fine. Back in the day (20 years ago) they had a dodgy reputation but are much better now. Or you can buy guitar and amp separately if you see something that looks cool. You just want something to get started. Small amps are great for home use. Good luck.
In my opinion, buying a practice amp online is perfectly fine. Iâve ordered two from different online stores and had no issues at all.
When it comes to buying a guitar onlineâŚit can be done, but keep in mind youâll have to do the initial setup yourself, or take it to someone who can do that for you (which may or may not involve a fee). Itâs not as simple as just opening up a box and playing it, unfortunately; there are usually some adjustments to be made to the truss rod and pickup height, and to the bridge if itâs a tremolo bridge. If you get the guitar from a store, they do all that for you.
Really it comes down to how confident with / willing to learn about guitar setup you are. That said, knowing how to set up and maintain your guitar is a very good skill to have.
I will say that if you order online and do the setup yourself, a fixed bridge like a telecaster will be far easier for you than a tremolo bridge. Trems can be finicky little things until you figure them out.
Iâd definitely still recommend going to a store to play some guitar models before ordering, just so youâre sure itâs the right guitar for you.
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Seconding this comment. Same story; had a headphone amp first, used it up until it ran out of battery power when I was in the middle of playing, and got a practice amp the next day. Have barely touched the headphone amp since.
A Mustang LT25 is about the size of a box that holds a set of dishes, if thatâs any help. Havenât had a Positive Grid Spark myself, but I understand theyâre pretty small too.
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Knowing WHAT to get is more than half the battle. My experience with a kit is tha the guitar was terrible and the amp worse. With what I know now, the guitar could have been repaired. You probably donât wnt to deal with that on day one though.
At $500, you should be able to select pretty useful items, albeit possibly simple in terms of function. The Squire or Epiphone brands are ok and there are others. I bought a very satisfying amp and cabinet for <$150, but by the time I did that, I knew what I was doing much better than my initial guitar+amp kit purchase which was returned.
Donât dismiss used gear. If it feels good and makes you want to pick it up and play, then it is a good candidate. You will get better gear out of your dollar finding a used guitar store and looking there over Amazon. You can also try before you commit money.
Consider a telecaster style. it is a popular sound for country and has certainly been used in rock.
Headphone amps are for you and you alone. You wonât be sharing your sound with others (at least not without some fiddling to get it into speakers). A small practice amp is more versatile and you can always plug headphones to most of those. You can make that a must-have feature for your selection.
There is a lot of info buried in these:
guitar info seems to be a mixed set of personal preference lists. Maybe this video will be useful:
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When looking for amps; donât go for the smallest speaker; even more expensive amps with small or crappy speakers arenât worth the money.
I learned that speakers, the amp and EQ doe far more to the tone than your guitar.
You guitar should feel good, look good and stay in tune.
If you can add a decent amp or a multi-effect with speaker+speaker cabinet simulation a PA speaker of stereo system, youâre good to go.
check scale length (length of string between nut and bridge)
Strat - Tele type guitars have a 25" scale lengt
gibson typically has 24.75"
a fender jaguar is 24"
This has a big impact on the âfeelâ, the distance between frets, the tension on strings.
The type of strings (gauge) on the guitar will determine a lot of feel and sound as well.
The guitar has to look like fun to pick up. That is part of the package for me and I have no issues admitting that. I donât car how my car look, how much HP it has or whatever. But my guitars⌠thatâs something else 
and of course, since this isnât a complete guide, chck this:
https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/beginner-electric-guitar-buyers-guide-b0-035
Nothing wrong with asking questions, thatâs what this community is for in the first place.
For 500 dollars you can get a very solid guitar and an amp that will cover all your needs as a beginner and, depending on what you want, even longer into the future.
With country the obvious suggestion would be a Telecaster. Squier offer some great options, you can get the Affinity series model and theyâre very solid. Or add some more and get a Classic Vibe, theyâre simply great guitars. But only if you like it and it looks inspiring. To me thatâs the most important thing. Itâs great that you can go to a guitar store, choosing your guitar in person is the best way.
As for the amp, I personally never used headphone amps, but seen some reviews and there are great options out there. But as other people pointed out, itâs limiting as you donât have a speaker and have to connect it to headphones. You can connect it to an external speaker, but I think itâs an overcomplication. Most practice amps arenât large.
My quick and short advice, and this will cost around 500âŹ, (youâll have to see if thatâs somewhat the same as 500$ where you live) is a Yamaha Pacifica (strat clone, but great value for the price.) Around here, somewhere around 250âŹ.
Amp: Harley Benton 15W tube amp. Again around 250âŹ.
This way, you get, afaik, a great starting point.
The Pacifica is versatile enough for many styles (SSS config) and the amp, basic as it is (but it already has itâs own reverb tank), is a great platform if you want to (later on) start with pedals.
Oh, and donât forget to take your new guitar to a luthier for a setup. This is somewhat important, because itâll make the difference between âOmg this thing feels/plays really goodâ and âWhy do i have so much trouble holding down strings? (or other problemsâŚ)â.
Good luck!!
donât buy the starter kit its usually rubbish I have 2 squiers a strat and a tele and very happy with them bought on line from guitar stores my amp is a Blackstar twin speaker enough for me and i use wireless plug and play no cable to trip over.
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I would suggest a Telecaster copy from Jet, Fazeley or Harley Benton costing around $200 then an amplifier from Orange, Blackstar, Fender, Yamaha, Vox or Laney, probably nothing over 25W but over 15W for whatâs left. Those brands of guitar at that price are great value compared to a well known brand, and they donât disappoint!
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